Her answering remark makes him visibly uncomfortable, which is why he chooses not to comment further on it. It was a careless expression to use, a mistake he perhaps would not have made under better circumstances.

He clears his throat, and has a sip of tea.

"I will tell you all I know," he says. "Which, I am afraid, is not much. I imagine this is your first introduction to space travel. Are you familiar with the concept of alien species?"